All posts by Toyota Cars

Second to your house, your vehicle is probably your most valuable asset. Just as you do maintenance on your house to help maintain its value, you need to do the same with your vehicle. Here are a few tips to make your vehicle last…

Keep your eyes open and your ears perked!

After you purchase your new vehicle, it won’t take long for you to get used to how it drives, how it sounds, how it feels. If something doesn’t seem right, trust your perception and get it checked out. Waiting when your vehicle needs repair will only make it more expensive and harder on your vehicle.

Keep the routine!

Routine maintenance is arguably the most important thing you can do to ensure that your vehicle lasts a long time. Your owner’s manual is your friend. Use it to establish a good routine. Along with that, find a mechanic that you can trust for these routine maintenance tasks.

Buy a quality vehicle!

The bottom line is that your vehicle is not going to last if it is not designed well and doesn’t feature quality parts.

2015 was the best year for the automotive industry since 2000. A whopping total of 17.5 million vehicles were sold, effectively topping the previous record of 17.3 million vehicles set in 2000. Full-size trucks took hold of the top three spots and cars and crossovers finished out the top 10 bestselling vehicles of 2015. Three Toyota models broke the top 10, effectively setting their dominance over competitors.

The Toyota Camry sedan followed the full-size trucks to take the number four spot. It maintains its reign as the bestselling mid-size sedan in the United States for the 14th year running. Thanks to its excellent fuel efficiency and a starting price just under $23,000, over 429,355 Camrys were sold in 2015.

Coming in right hot on the Camry’s tires is the Toyota Corolla. Taking the number five spot with 363,332 sold, the Corolla is also the bestselling nameplate with over 40 million sold since the car’s debut. This most recent model year saw an increase of seven percent over 2014.

Only two crossovers broke into the top 10 and the Toyota RAV4 took the number 10 spot. After placing 13th in 2014, moving up three spots with 315,412 sold is quite an accomplishment. Coming standard with plenty of technology and a powerful, yet fuel efficient engine, it’s easy to see why.

Toyota’s been leading the gas-electric hybrid market since 2000 with over 3.5 million hybrids sold globally. The result has been unanimous as other automakers have created hybrid versions of their popular vehicles in order to compete. Now Toyota is adding an eighth hybrid to its lineup.

The 2016 Toyota RAV4 Hybrid has made its debut and runs on a full hybrid powertrain. Available in both front- and all-wheel drive, the RAV4 Hybrid is both powerful and fuel efficient.

The front wheel drive model runs on a 2.0-liter engine capable of 143 hp and 236 lb-ft of torque. The all-wheel drive model runs on a 2.0-liter gasoline engine capable of pumping out 151 hp and 143 lb-ft of torque.

The RAV4 Hybrid also boasts better performance than non-hybrid models in addition to best-in-class fuel economy. The hybrid model hits 60 mph in 8.1 seconds while non-hybrid models take up to nine seconds.

The Toyota RAV4 Hybrid’s ad campaign shows how extreme the model is. One ad depicts the RAV4 Hybrid thrown in with lumberjacks. Two other ads will feature a pack of wolves and Amazon tribe.

The next-generation Toyota telematics system will implement SmartDeviceLink (SDL). SDL is a platform for smartphone apps and car connectivity that makes it easier for customers to use to apps in their car whether through voice recognition or through the touchscreen panel.

At the 2016 CES conference in Las Vegas, Toyota demonstrated how SDL integration would work in a future telematics system.

Toyota and Ford have already committed to using this platform in the future and hope it becomes an industry-wide standard. If this happens, app developers will be able to quickly make apps that would compatible across the industry, meaning more apps in less time.

Shigeki Terashi, Executive Vice President of Toyota Motor Corporation, said, in a statement, “Developing a safer and more secure in-car smartphone connectivity service which better matches individual vehicle features is exactly the value and advantage an automaker can offer customers. We expect that many companies share our view and will participate in the industry SDL collaboration.”

Toyota has been testing the SDL platform since 2011 and found it to be the best option for a new telematics system. Toyota hasn’t said when SDL will first be incorporated into a production vehicle.

Here in northern Illinois, winter can be a pretty unforgiving time, especially if you need to do any driving. Here are a few tips on how to drive through snowy weather to help get you through this long, cold season.

Get snow tires. Snow tires are specifically designed to cut through snow and slush and give your wheels more traction. If you do make the switch, make sure you swap out all four tires.

AWD does not equal invincibility. Just because your vehicle has all-wheel or four-wheel-drive, that does not mean your car can tackle any road condition. It may help you start moving and stay moving through snow, but when it comes to stopping power, it won’t help you at all. Continue to drive cautiously even with the added traction.

Stay home. When the roughest winter weather hits, stay home if you can. If you head out anyway and skid off the road you will, at the very least, be late; but things could end up being much worse.

Practice. If you find yourself driving through heavy winter conditions year after year, find a way to practice your driving skills. Head to a large empty parking lot that and drive no faster than 25 mph to feel how your car reacts to a skid and practice controlling it. Or, you can spend some money on a professional driving school to learn some real skills.

Because this time of year is one of the busiest travel seasons, Toyota is teaming with Cincinnati Children’s for “Buckle Up for life,” a national injury prevention program. New Holiday Traditions for Child Passenger Safety is one aspect of the program, aiming to keep kids safe this holiday season.

According to Toyota, nearly 42 million Americans are taking road trips this time of year. Despite recent innovations to safety, there are still few things safer than buckling up. Car seats are also important, capable of greatly reducing risk of injury for children under 12 years old.

“Whether you’re traveling far this holiday season or staying local, no trip with small children is complete without a properly installed car seat,” said Gloria Del Castillo, child passenger safety expert at Cincinnati Children’s and senior outreach specialist for Buckle Up for Life. “Our goal with these traditions is to offer simple ways to make child passenger safety a part of every family’s routine – during the holidays and throughout the year.”

If you’ve been shopping for a new car recently, you’ve probably noticed the surge in continuously variable transmissions (CVTs) on the market. This innovative transmission technology is capable of perfect gear ratios and upping fuel economy.

According to Autoguide, a CVT doesn’t use gears, in the traditional sense. Instead, this transmission works by using a pair of variable-diameter pulleys (which look like cones) and a special high strength belt. Instead of shifting in and out of gears through a complex clutch and hydraulic system like a normal transmission, a CVT uses a system of cone-like pulleys (with one end thicker than the other) to eliminate unnecessary steps.

Jim Paris, director for Continental in the NAFTA region, explains: “By varying their dimensions the belt itself rides higher or lower on the pulleys and changes the ratio between the drive and the driven pulley.”

What’s different? Drivers will notice that CVTs don’t shift like normal cars; instead, you’re offered one smooth ride. Although this takes some getting used to, you’re always in the right “gear” when you’re using a CVT. This boosts fuel economy and optimizes power transfer. Though this technology was actually found in small engines, like some mowers, the belts were not strong enough for cars. Thanks to recent breakthroughs, the CVT is quickly becoming the ideal transmission option.

Today, cars are so much better than they used to be. They can simultaneously be more powerful and more efficient than their predecessors. Cars are also much safer and much more tech-friendly. One of the best new cars that is perfect for the modern driver is the 2016 Toyota Prius c.

This compact hybrid packs a punch when it comes to fuel efficiency, safety, design, and technology. For starters, it boasts the highest fuel efficiency in its segment with an EPA-estimated 53 mpg in the city.

If you want your Prius c to have a personality all its own, choose the new Persona Series Special Edition. This model will be limited to 1,500 units. It will come exclusively in black with the choice of two color accents that run along the grille, under the side windows, and cover the side mirrors. Choose between Electric Lime and Cherry Pearl.

No matter which trim you choose, the Prius c is built on a frame comprised of lightweight, high-strength steel. This simultaneously makes the Prius c more efficient and safer. The Prius c is also equipped with nine standard airbags and the Star Safety System, which includes Vehicle Stability Control, traction control, anti-lock brakes, Electronic Brake Force Distribution, Brake Assist, and Smart Stop.

The 2016 Toyota Prius c will be coming to Bill Walsh Toyota soon. Let us know you’re interested and we’ll let you know when they arrive.

Illinois has a rich history that is based on the Native American population that lived and still lives here today. In fact, the name “Illinois” comes from an Algonquian word Illiniwek, which means “the people.” To celebrate the history and remember these native people, November is recognized as Native American Heritage month.

The Illinois tribe was a large and powerful nation that occupied much of the Mississippi River valley. In colonial times, they became allies with French fur traders and other colonists who lived among them. Over time, the Illinois tribes were forced to leave and move to reservations in Oklahoma. Today, many Illinois Native Americans are part of the Peoria Indian Tribe of Oklahoma.

To learn more about the Native Americans that lived here and in other parts of the country, try a few new things.

Read a book. There are hundreds of books that document that history of Native Americans, like 1491: New Revelations of the Americans Before Columbus, written by Charles C. Mann.

Watch a lacrosse game. Lacrosse may be the true American sport, as it was developed by Native Americans as early as the 12th It was played as a celebration of spiritual life and games could last for days with people rotating in and out of teams.

Try a new recipe. With Thanksgiving right around the corner, which also celebrates our ties to Native Americans, try a few new recipes that use native foods grown right here.

Automobile accidents are challenging enough. Being unprepared, without a clue about what to do, can only add to the trauma. That’s why it’s a good idea to put together an accident checklist that includes the following:

Am I safe?

Your first priority is ensuring your own safety. Before anything else happens, make sure you are out of harm’s way. Attend to others if they are in danger.

Gather information

Record the names and addresses of everyone involved in the accident (including passengers). Note the make, model, year, and license plate number of every vehicle involved. Write down the insurance policy number and driver’s license number of every driver involved.

Record damage

Using your cell phone, take photos of the damage. If it helps, take photos of the entire scene. Write down the details.

File a claim

Report the accident to your insurance company.

Write down this checklist and keep in your glove box or save in your phone. Then, in the unfortunate event that you are involved in an accident, you can simply work your way down the list.